Overview

My research interests centre around how to reduce and mitigate anthropogenic impacts in the environment whilst supporting human health. Recent projects focus on environmental impacts of food alongside nutritional provision, the response of marine systems to climate change and conserving threatened marine environments. I work in partnership with the Universities of Exeter and Bristol and the Centre for environment, fisheries and aquaculture science (Cefas). 

I completed a biology degree and environmental masters at York University, with a focus on climate science in terrestrial systems. My recent research projects follow several years of work in the environmental sector as a project manager for sustainable energy and transport consultancies.

Through my PhD I worked closely with Cefas and am involved in government commissioned research projects. I have also reviewed papers submitted for publication that relate to my research area.

To help my universities to address the declared climate and environment emergency I choose lower impact refreshments for meetings and work with global teams remotely whenever possible. We are also improving the efficiency of our team office and lab space.  

Qualifications

PhD, Biosciences, University of Exeter

MRes Ecology and Environmental Management, University of York, Distinction.

BSc Biology, University of York, First class honours.
 

Back to top

Research

Research interests

Climate change, marine fisheries, emissions reduction, mitigation, nutrition, Life-cycle assessment, aquaculture, nutrition, conservation

Research projects

Reducing food emissions: How do we reduce food emissions without unintended consequences on health or wider sustainability? University of Bristol, led by Dr Taro Takahashi.

PhD: Assessing the impacts of a changing climate on marine species.

Supervisors: Steve Simpson, University of Exeter, Martin Genner, University of Bristol, Simon Jennings, Cefas, Lowestoft, Ewan Hunter, Cefas, Lowestoft

Funding Body: NERC CASE studentship with Cefas

Project Description:Using a combination of standardized fisheries survey data and published marine species studies to assess the impacts of climate change on marine species, identify drivers of species distributions and to predict the impact of climate change on species and assemblage distributions.

Publications

Changes of potential catches for North-East Atlantic small pelagic fisheries under climate change scenarios

Jose A. Fernandes, Thomas L. Frölicher, Louise A. Rutterford, Maite Erauskin-Extramiana & William W. L. Cheung (2020) Regional Environmental Change, volume 20, Article number: 116

Can we project changes in fish abundance and distribution in response to climate?

Fernandes, J. A., L. Rutterford, S. D. Simpson, M. Butenschon, T. L. Frolicher, A. Yool, W. W. L. Cheung and A. Grant (2020). Global Change Biology26(7): 3891-3905.

Climate Change Drives Poleward Increases and Equatorward Declines in Marine Species

R. A. Hastings*, L. A. Rutterford*, J. J. Freer, R. A. Collins, S. D. Simpson and M. J. Genner (2020). Current Biology30(8): 1572.

Fishes in a changing world: learning from the past to promote sustainability of fish populations

TAC Gordon, HR Harding, FK Clever, IK Davidson, W Davison, DW Montgomery, RC Weatherhead, FM Windsor, JD Armstrong, A Bardonnet, E Bergman, JR Britton, IM Côté, D D'Agostino, LA Greenberg, AR Harborne, KK Kahilainen, NB Metcalfe, SC Mills, NJ Milner, FH Mittermayer, L Montorio, SL Nedelec, JM Prokkola, LA Rutterford, AGV Salvanes, SD Simpson, A Vainikka, JK Pinnegar, EM Santos (2018). Journal of Fish Biology 92 (3), 804-827.

Future fish distributions constrained by depth in warming seas

Rutterford, L. A.*, S. D. Simpson*, S. Jennings, M. P. Johnson, J. L. Blanchard, P. J. Schön, D. W. Sims, J. Tinker and M. J. Genner (2015). Future fish distributions constrained by depth in warming seas. Nature Climate Change 5 (6), 569-573.

Reports

University of Exeter: Environment & Climate Emergency Working Group White Paper (2019) 

An Independent Review commissioned by the Vice Chancellor’s Executive Group.

Future of the Sea: Biological Responses to Ocean Warming. 

Martin J. Genner, Jennifer J. Freer and Louise A. Rutterford, (2017). Foresight – Future of the Sea, Evidence Review, Government Office for Science. 

Back to top

Supervision / Group

Postgraduate researchers

Back to top